2010 O.C. baseball season preview

Scroll down for the O.C. Top 10 to start the season or click on the following links for the rest of the 2010 O.C. baseball preview:

• Baseball preview: Top 5 players to watch
• Baseball preview: Top underclassmen
• Baseball preview: Other players to watch
• Baseball preview: Important dates
• Baseball preview: Young team looks ready for long run

O.C. Top 10

1. Edison: The Chargers went 23-6 last year and advanced to last year's CIF-Southern Section Division 1 championship game, in which they lost to Capistrano Valley, 1-0. These Chargers could be even better. They bring back 6-foot-7 junior left-handed pitcher Henry Owens, who was 9-1 with a 0.98 ERA last season and was All-CIF; junior outfielder Eric Snyder, who hit .355; and junior third baseman Kyle Jones, who batted .380. All three were All-Sunset League last year. Edison was strengthened by two transfers, brothers Christian and Timmy Lopes. Christian, a junior shortstop, was All-CIF and Foothill League player of the year last season as a sophomore at Valencia of Valencia, where he batted .453 with 15 home runs and 33 RBIs.

2. Capistrano Valley: Before the season began Friday, with first-round games in the season-opening tournaments, Capo coach Bob Zamora knew his team had plenty of potential. But to him, that's all it was. Pitchers Lee Casas and Bryan Clough signed with UC Irvine, and pitcher Brandon Brennan signed with Oregon. "But not one of them has won a varsity game," Zamora said last week. The Cougars started living up that potential right away last week in an opening game of the Newport Elks Tournament, in which they beat JSerra, 4-2. Capo, 26-6 in 2009 when it won the CIF-SS Division 1 championship, lost last year's county player of the year, Tyler Matzek, but the Cougars should be strong against this year.

3. JSerra: The Lions (22-7 in '09) won their first league championship last season, and might be just as good this season. Among the returnees are junior catcher Austin Hedges, who committed to UCLA and was last season's Trinity League player of the year; senior pitcher/first baseman Bret Dahlson, who hit .347 with 28 RBIs last season, committed to Loyola Marymount, and is quite a hitter, too; and Grahamm Wiest, a senior pitcher who committed to Cal State Fullerton and went 6-3 last year with a 1.62 ERA. JSerra added quite a transfer: Tyler Krause, a junior outfielder who was All-State in Arizona last season when he batted .390 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs.

4. Mater Dei: There is plenty of offensive pop on the Monarchs' roster. Senior shortstop Derek Campbell, who signed with Cal, batted .340 with seven home runs and 21 RBIs last year; senior outfielder Cory Hahn, and Arizona State signee, hit .367 with six home runs, including a grand slam when Mater Dei beat top-seeded Norco in last year's CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinals; Loyola Marymount signee Jacob Medina, a senior outfielder, batted .305; senior outfielder A.J. Roth hit .333; and senior third baseman Ryan Teel hit .406. The issue coming into 2010 was pitching, and it looks like that could be an even bigger issue with top returning pitcher Matt Blanchard out with an arm injury. If the Monarchs (24-6 in '09) can scrap together a decent pitching rotation, they will be a top 10 team all season.

5. Orange Lutheran: Pitching should be the Lancers' strength this year. Lutheran (18-11 in '09) brings back senior lefty Bobby Wheatley, who was Trinity League pitcher of the year last season when he went 7-3 with a 1.40 ERA. Another returning pitcher, Andrew Thurman, was second team All-Trinity League in 2009. Senior outfielder Dillon Bryant was all-league first team in '09 when he batted .326 with team highs in hits (28) and RBIs (18), as was senior infielder Willie Shaw (.308, 10 stolen bases).

6. Cypress: The Centurions return both of the starting pitchers from last year's team that went 19-10. Zack Ortiz, a junior who committed to UCLA, and Johnny Valenzuela were their Nos. 1 and 2 pitchers in '09. Ortiz also was a good hitter, too, with a .344 average. Senior shortstop Trent Zaks, who singed with UCI, hit .293 with 18 RBIs. Senior outfielder P.J. Purtle hit .316. It is a youngish team, with only one senior expected to be a regular starter in the field, but Cypress should contend for the Empire League title.

7. Mission Viejo: Although the Diablos do not have a lot of senior starters, they do have plenty of players who played a lot in '09 when Mission Viejo went 17-12. Senior first baseman Sam Kim batted .393 with six home runs and 24 RBIs, junior outfielder Austin Saenz scored 28 runs and had 26 stolen bases, and junior pitcher Willie Kuhl went 6-4 with a 3.40 ERA and 52 strikeouts. The Diablos got a transfer who should contribute, too: Ryan Muno, a junior third baseman who batted .350 with five homers and 25 RBIs last year at La Quinta of La Quinta.

8. Fullerton: The Indians return six of nine starters from the '09 team that went 21-8 overall and 13-2 in the Freeway League. Cal State Fullerton signee Michael Lorenzen, a senior outfielder/pitcher who was All-County last year, batted .451 with seven home runs and 27 RBIs; senior shortstop/pitcher Dominic Ficociello, who signed with Arkansas, hit .495 with 10 homers and 36 RBIs and was another All-County selection for the Tribe. Senior infielder Greg Velasquez batted .370 with 21 RBIs, and junior outfielder Simon Poti hit .315 with 27 RBIs. Senior pitcher Christian Belleque was 9-2 with a 2.06 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 781/3 innings.

9. Marina: They would be favored to win most leagues in the county, but the Vikings are in that tough Sunset League with Edison. The Vikings, 22-7 last year, have a strong group of returnees. Senior catcher Vinny Ponce, batted .366 and drove in 28 runs in '09. Senior shortstop Robert Chavarria hit .330 with 21 RBIs, and senior third-baseman Chad Lewis batted .379 with 29 RBIs. Graduation took away some outstanding pitchers from last year's team, including All-County Paul Strong, but the Vikings still should have good pitching depth.

10. Canyon: This could be the Comanches' best team in a few years. Phil Ferragamo was Century League pitcher of the year in '09 when he was 7-3 with a 1.94 ERA. Senior outfielder Cody Lewis had 17 RBIs in '09 to lead Canyon, which was 16-11. Senior outfielder/pitcher Bijan Rademacher had five saves and a 1.45 ERA, and batted. 338. Junior outfielder Parker Starr hit .304, and pitcher Jon South started four games as a sophomore last season.